Deconstructing and reorganising theories and approaches to youth empowerment that embraces “local” origins

Project Title – Deconstructing and reorganising theories and approaches to youth empowerment that embraces “local” origins. – A Reflexive Approach

Project details

There has been an increasing push over the past 50 years to decolonise (Patel, 2021), “indigenise” Onwuzuruigbo, 2018) , “creolise” (Boatcă, 2021), and “decentre” (Bhambra 2013) research and knowledge to embrace the subaltern voices which have been subsumed by Western and Eurocentric ideas of knowledge production. Taiwo (1993) points to the cause of crises that afflicted African countries, as the stunted development of African knowledge resulting from colonialism, Islam and Christianity.

Researching through a decolonial lens is a process that entails more than just rejecting and deconstructing Euro-American-centric perspectives. It also involves reconstructing alternative knowledge frameworks that exist beyond these dominant norms, tailored to local contexts (Mignolo, 2017).

Researchers are encouraged to critically examine and question the underlying assumptions, power relations, and knowledge systems that shape how their research is produced, disseminated, and accessed. A decolonial approach to research reminds scholars that many prevailing notions about knowledge, truth, and rationality stem from literature and practices developed within a particular historical context and through unequal power dynamics (Baur, 2021).

Decolonizing research methodologies necessitates a multi-pronged approach, involving ongoing critical discussions and examinations of diverse worldviews, documenting real-world examples that challenge dominant norms, and confronting the funding structures and broader systemic contexts within which researchers operate. (Baur, 2021; Jammulamadaka, 2019)

Emphasizing collaborative, community-engaged, and reflexive pedagogical approaches could be vital for decolonizing knowledge production processes. This could involve positioning research participants as co-creators. (Baur, 2021; Jammulamadaka, 2019)

This proposal seeks to incorporate foundational theories of Critical Youth Empowerment (CYE) (Jennings et al, 2006), and the Empowerment Education Model (EE) (Freire, 1970). These theories emphasize the importance of fostering environments that promote critical reflection, meaningful participation, and equitable power-sharing, crucial for nurturing interdisciplinary research. By applying these principles, the proposed Research Symposium aims to decolonize research methodologies that have traditionally prioritized western perspectives. It will focus on empowering Early Career Researchers (ECRs) from underrepresented regions like Pakistan and Trinidad and Tobago, particularly women, enabling them to contribute to and reshape the narrative around youth employment and empowerment.

The aim of project is to pilot the development of a Global Research Symposium which nurtures interdisciplinary research on youth empowerment through the lens of employability and entrepreneurship. This is to respond to the critical need for enhanced research and academic discourse about youth empowerment in developing countries, with a specific focus on Pakistan and Trinidad and Tobago. These regions, particularly in the field of youth employment and for that matter business and management studies, have seen a marked underrepresentation, limiting the diversity and inclusivity of global academic dialogue with pre-eminence of publications with authors from North America and Europe (Collyer, 2018; Acedo et al, 2006; Baruch, 2001). This initiative aims to bridge this gap by fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment for researchers, and in particular Early Career Researchers (ECRs), especially targeting women who are traditionally marginalised in academia.

Research Assistant & National Coordinators Roles, Responsibilities and Time.

Research Assistant Time and Fee – £10/hr per week for 10 weeks – £1,000

Role duties for Research Assistant

Systematic Review – i) Conduct the steps 0 – 6, ii) Work with the team on 7 -9
National Coordinators – i) Work with National Coordinators on the recruitment of Researchers and in particular ECRs in TnT & Pakistan, ii)
Workshops – Coordinate – i) the 2 virtual workshops, including sending out Teams invitations emails to participants and speakers; ii) payment of speakers, iii) payment to researcher’s prize money.
Blogs – Coordinate the receipt and submission of blogs to the Institute for Inclusive Communities and Environments and CREW.

National Coordinators (TnT & Pakistan)

Role duties for National Coordinator

Recruitment – Recruit of Researchers and in particular ECRs in the counties
Workshops – Coordinate with Research Assistant – i) the 2 virtual workshops, including sending out Teams invitations emails to participants and speakers; ii) payment of speakers, iii) payment to researcher’s prize money.
Blogs – Coordinate with Research Assistant the receipt and submission of blogs to the Institute for Inclusive Communities and Environments and CREW.

Research Profile of researchers and ECRs – Youth development and empowerment, Youth employability and entrepreneurship, decolonisation.

A list of stages in conducting systematic review

Stage I-Planning the review

Phase 0 – Identification for the need for a review

Phase 1 – Preparation of a proposal for a review

Phase 2 – Development of a review protocol

Stage II—Conducting a review

Phase 3 – Identification of research – Possible keyword – “youth empowerment”; decoloni*; employability

Phase 4 – Selection of studies

Phase 5 – Study quality assessment

Phase 6 – Data extraction and monitoring progress

Phase 7 – Data synthesis